Utility:
21

Introduction

May the Void be with you, summoner! This is my second build here on Mobafire, and I am happy to announce: Jungle Cho'Gath!

Why him? Why Cho... and why jungler?!

Because Cho is extreme fun to play and jungling is easy and achieveable with his passive.
I can promise you great ganks earliest on, that get me firstblood or an assist so early that enemies wouldn't even have thought about a route. And the best about it: It fits exactly in your jungling route.

After the jungle rework in November 2011 jungling Cho became even more appealing, because Ad junglers were nerfed, and Ap Junglers were buffed (Mastery changes). It is so so so easy now, and you will stay extremely sustainable in the jungle. If you wish so, you don't have to go back once throughout the whole game, no joke. (of course that's nothing I would recommend ;)

Runes

Magic Penetration for damage on Reds. Some people prefer attack speed marks. I am not using them, because they simply dont fit to the rest of the build and everything here. Stick to my build or don't, - as doesn't fit in for marks!Armor on Yellows for jungling.Ap/lvl on Blue. Alternative: Cooldown Reduction (Flat)Flat Ap on Quints. Alternative: Cooldown Reduction (Flat)

Don't use the Mana regeneration seals for jungling. They simply aren't worth it. Early they won't help and lategame you won't need 'em because of your high Mana.

Masteries

0/9/21
Why do I go for the Health and not for the decreased damage from minions and damage return? Because I consider it as useless, and Health is just way better. Creeps will die in a 2 spell combo, so won't hit you more than once...
Utility tree is pretty much self explanatory. Increased Mana and Mana regen good for sustain, Lifesteal and Buff duration help in the jungle aswell as in ganks/teamfights. Increased experience is epic in the jungle, and another reason to go for Cho and not for some random ad jungler. Cooldown reduction is good for your Feast, aswell as for your disruptive aoe nuke spells, to really use them more often in the fight. At this point I am not totally sure if Perseverance would be a better idea to get. Mastermind is also awesome. Reduces your already low cooldown spells even more, so you can use Smite for often, which will also allow you to run even faster through your jungle (which you even do without smite, as I consider Cho as an epic jungler even without smite).

Items

After the jungle rework, the jungle is such a piece of cake that you don't need any potions or cloth armor AT ALL, so just go for Sapphire Crystal and 2 pots (which you again won't really need, but they make you stay at max hp throughout the jungle.

Get your Boots next and finish them after Gracial Shroud or Catalyst. It's always wise to build Rod of the Ages kinda early because it will make you stronger over the next 10 minutes without you having to go back to base. This item is great for Mana starvation, survivability, sustainability in jungle and lane, and damage.

Dependent on your enemies and teammate you will choose what other items you are going to buy.

-If your team has no tank it's your job to get lots of Armor and Magic Resistances aswell as Health (and damage). Many items have important stats for you in one such as Banshee's Veil, Abyssal Scepter...

-If your team has a tank already you can go tanky ap. Items after Frozen Hearh and Rod of Ages would be Rabadon's Deathcap, Abyssal Scepter, Zhonya's Hourglass. You can also buy Sorcerer's Shoes if your enemy team is lacking CC.

Skill Sequence

Q,E,W,W,W,R - Max your W, because the Cooldown is decreasing, the Damage and the Silence duration is incresing. Your W is GREAT! I don't have to tell you to skill your R with lvl 6, 11 and 16...

From level 3 on you can clear out jungle camps with Q,W and one or two autoattacks with E toggled and you'll even gain health.

Summoner Spells

Smite is obviously a good choice for every jungler.
Flash is a great escape spell and also okay for initiations and to get your R done on running low health enemies. Alternative: Ghost

I am not a fan of Ignite on Cho Gath jungler.
Cleanse? Might be an option, but I am not a fan of it. Buy Mercury's if the enemy is high on CC.
Exhaust? Instead of Smite definitely, but wait... you were a jungler - so leave it.
Clarity, Clairvoyance, Heal, Teleport? Not an option.
Revive? Maybe next time dude...

After all I think after Smite as your first summoner you really should take Flash or Ghost, dependent on the one you are more used to, or you just prefer.
Personally I think after they continued to nerf this crazy op spell Flash (which should be removed anyway, as it destroys good play) I prefer Ghost on most of my Champion as escape/initiate spell. Ghost gives you movement speed for a time, flash just let's you jump a hilarious small distance, and thats it. Any anti-carry will catch you in a second. Ghosting in when ganking will DESTROY your enemies, or save your *** another time.
You might aswell go for Flash, but I still strongly recommend Ghost.

The route (Needs adaption to the new jungle)

Remember: The following lines are written for the OLD JUNGLE, before the rework in November 2011. Jungling was piece of cake before, but now it's just a joke. You don't need smite, you don't need cloth armor, you don't even need those nerfed potions!
You can just start at blue now, and even spam your abilities some more, without running out of Mana. I would still gank pretty early. Read the following well-thought-out old route, just for understanding basics of jungling...

(old route following now:)

Don't do the mistake and start at blue. That is not worth it. You will keep the buff for later.

First of all: You start at Wolves. Ask a ranged teammate (preferably in mid) to pull you the Giant wolf (Initial spawn at 1:40) and go straight back to mid. Keep attacking the Giant wolf and when they turn back to run to you, rupture the ground unter yourself and watch 'em fly. IMPORTANT: Do not use Smite for the Wolf camp.

2. Go to your Wraith camp, rupture the ground there and instantly Smite the Big Wraith. Skill your E skill and kill the remaining wraiths one by one. Every one of them will take damage from your toggled E and so you'll be way faster. Drink your first pot, you want to be nearly at full hp when you go to your next target.

3. Dual Golems next. You should definitely drink a pot now, if you arent full health, because you don't want to get low. When you stand in front of them, rupture and attack right after. That way you will get 1 free hit on them. The next rupture might be the last one you should use on them: Check your mana: When you have more than 150 Mana you can rupture the golems another time to be faster.

4. G-A-N-K! This will be the lane next to your dual golems (so if you're at top base, you'll gank top lane first, if not it's the other way round). For this gank you need nothing more than land your Q and W. Normally you don't need to use Flash to get Firstblood, but if you can get it, why not? Didn't get Firstblood and only took a summoner from the enemy? - Gank again some seconds after you went away. Didn't get a kill again? -

5. Back to your jungle, it's waiting already to be cleared again. After you went back to base after the second time Wolves, Wraiths, Golems, you are going to do bluebuff. Buy a health pot for not getting too low.

6. From now on you are more or less all the time ganking from lane to lane and holding your lanes for your teammates. The Rest lies in your hands, summoner.

Final words

Don't flame your team for not knowing when to initiate when you are ganking, for being stupid and for being flamers themselves. Tell them how to make it better, because rude words won't make your next gank work better.

League of Legends is a team based, real time strategy game set in a mythical world of swords & magic where epic battles decide the fate of mystical nations. Game players take on the role of a Summoner who conjures and controls champions to fight for them at the Institute of War. During game play champions gain experience and items to enhance their skills and abilities. How players develop and play their champions can be the difference between a crushing defeat or a glorious victory!